Iran to Give Saudis Firm Response if Necessary: Military Adviser
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A senior adviser to Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces voiced Tehran’s readiness to show a “firm, crushing” reaction to Riyadh’s mismanagement of the Hajj rituals after a crush in Mina, near Mecca, claimed the lives of hundreds of Iranian pilgrims.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has strong power, and will give Al Saud (the Saudi ruling family) a firm and crushing response whenever necessary,” General Mostafa Mohammad Najjar, the former defense minister, told Tasnim.
Decrying Saudi officials’ “unbearable mistakes”, incompetence and mismanagement during this year’s Hajj, the general said Saudis have sought to undermine Muslim people's beliefs through their incompetence.
He further cautioned about enemies of Islam's efforts to restrain Muslims from making the Hajj pilgrimage.
His comments came after Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei on Wednesday warned Riyadh that the slightest disrespect for the Iranian Hajj pilgrims or its failure to repatriate the bodies of those killed in the Mina crush will draw Iran’s “severe and tough reaction".
The Islamic Republic of Iran has had respect for fraternity in the Islamic world up to now, showing self-restraint and Islamic politeness, Imam Khamenei said on Wednesday.
“However” Ayatollah Khamenei underlined “they (Saudis) should know that the slightest disrespect for tens of thousands of Iranian pilgrims in Mecca and Medina and failing in their duties to transfer the holy bodies (of pilgrims to Iran) will result in Iran’s severe and tough reaction.”
According to Iranian officials, 464 Iranians were killed in the crush in Mina, near Mecca, when performing religious rites on September 24.
Saudi Arabia has not still repatriated the bodies of the Iranians killed in the tragedy, which marked the worst ever Hajj disaster with the death of some 5,000 people.
